Swine Flu
by Lady Jayne DeSota
Summary: Olivia goes undercover as a graduate student at Columbia University to investigate a series of rapes and murders. When her investigation takes a toll on her health, will anyone be there to watch her back?
1. Chapter 1

Swine Flu

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters; I only borrow them when I'm bored. They will be returned in the same condition they were received.

Author's Note: I know it's beginning a bit slow, but it will definately get better! Please give it a shot!

Spoilers: None

It was an unseasonably cold, rainy, windy October evening. Olivia was circling her apartment trying to pack all of the things she would need for her latest undercover assignment. Her hands shook as she folded a t-shirt and put it into her suitcase. The feeling of dread was intensifying in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't gone undercover since Sealview a year ago. She scanned her apartment trying to remember any other items she would need. It was a long time since she had been to college. She couldn't even remember what student life was like anymore. She hoped the graduate student housing would be a step up from what she remembered from her undergrad days.

Olivia was going undercover as a psychology graduate student at Columbia University. She had been taking classes since the beginning of the term in September. However, Cragen felt she could dig deeper if she was a resident student. Her unit was investigating the rape and murder of both a student, Gertrude Bigsby, and psychology professor Dr. Shannon Lawrence, at Columbia. Dr. Marcus Emery was at the center of the investigation. He was the last person seen with both victims before they were found dead. A tip had been called into the precinct that Dr. Emery had been romantically involved with both Bigsby and Lawrence. Olivia had only been in Emery's class for four weeks, and could easily see that Emery enjoyed relationships with his female students beyond the classroom.

Olivia zipped up her suitcase. She went over to her desk, and turned on her desk lamp. She reached into her book bag, and pulled out her advanced psychology text book and note book. The course work was killing her. If Huang wasn't helping her, she would have definitely have flunked out by now. Even with Huang's help, Olivia still struggled. She had to take the exams on her own. She had to do well because it would not make sense if she did well on papers, but bombed the exams. It would seem as if she was buying papers from a paper mill. She didn't want to cast suspicion on herself. She felt as if she was spending every free moment she had with her nose in a book. It was especially difficult for Olivia because she had no background in psychology. She had majored in Criminal Justice.

Olivia tried to concentrate on her notes, but couldn't. She did not want to go undercover full time again. It was one thing to go to classes, hang around the campus, and go home. It was completely different to move into a dorm room and pretend to be a real grad student indefinitely. She felt as if she was giving up her life once again for her job.

The next morning, Casey helped Olivia move into her new dorm room. When she opened the door for the first time, Casey was shocked.

"They're making you live in this dump?"

Olivia looked around the room with a look of disgust on her face. She was shocked to find out she would be living with a roommate. Cragen was supposed to arrange a single room.

"I guess they were out of singles," Casey said.

Olivia was horrified. The accommodations at Sealview were more posh. She shuddered at the thought of sleeping on a plastic mattress on a metal framed, rusty bed. The walls were cinderblocks painted in a puke green color. She opened the curtain only to find her view of garbage dumpsters in an alley. Olivia couldn't believe this was real.

"Casey, I can't live here. This is horrible."

"Liv, calm down. It's only temporary. Besides, this place is almost decent compared to my room at NYU. I don't think are even any rats!"

Olivia rolled her eyes. If this was graduate student housing, she shuddered to think how the undergrads were forced to live.

"Before I forget," Casey said. "I got you a going away present!"

Olivia gave Casey a skeptical look as she opened a large cardboard box. Inside was a memory foam mattress topper, a 3 pack of Clorox Wipes, and a 3 pack of Lysol disinfecting spray.

Casey smiled. "Well you know swine flu is going around. Better be safe than sorry!"

Casey helped her make her bed, and put a few things away before she left for the evening.

A few hours later as she was putting her clothes away in the closet, she heard the door open. A petite woman with burgundy hair and many tattoos walked in carrying a huge stack of books. She seemed to be in her mid-twenties. She didn't seem pleased to see Olivia in her room.

"I guess you're my roommate," she said flatly as she put down her books on her desk.

Yeah, I'm Olivia. My apartment fell through, so I was lucky enough to get a spot on campus."

"Lucky me," she said sarcastically. I'm Kat. Are you in the grad psych program too?"

"Yeah, I am" Olivia said. "First year."

"Me too," replied Kat.

Olivia didn't know whether or not she should continue talking. Kat didn't seem very friendly.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready. I have plans tonight."

"Sure, no problem. I'll see you later then."

Olivia had a strange feeling about Kat. She seemed very cold. She knew they had just met, but she knew something just wasn't right.

Olivia had a lot of studying to do that night. She needed to be prepared for the class discussion tomorrow. She didn't want to make an ass of herself if she was called on. She pulled on some old sweatpants and an old freebie t-shirt. She wanted to check in with Elliot, but realized that it was already past midnight. He was probably asleep. She couldn't help but wish it was her sleeping next to him in bed. He was much more than just a partner, but she could never act on her desires. A fire alarm pulled her out of her day dream.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said to herself while putting on her ugg slippers, hooded sweatshirt, and grabbing her keys and phone. She headed down the stairwell along with the other dorm residents. They waited outside in the rain for what seemed like an eternity. There were neither flames, nor smoke coming out of the building. The firefighters did not seem alarmed. Olivia assumed they would be allowed to re-enter the building shortly. All of a sudden, she heard the familiar sirens of police cars approaching. She spotted Elliot and Fin along with a few uniforms getting out of the cars. Why would SVU have been called for a fire alarm? Something wasn't right. She made eye contact with Elliot through the crowd. She knew she couldn't break her cover. The detectives made their way into the building, and remained inside. Something was wrong. All of a sudden, her phone beeped. She looked down at the new text message from Elliot.

"Body found in basement. Raped, then shot."

Olivia felt her blood go cold.

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	2. Chapter 2

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Swine Flu Chapter 2

Disclaimer: These are not my characters. I borrow them, and dry clean prior to return. I promise I won't return them late this time!

Spoilers: None. However, in my world, Casey was never suspended.

Author's Note: I really appreciate all of the story subscriptions! Please review! I want to know if people are reading! Suggestions are welcomed!

Olivia felt strange being on the outside of an investigation. She needed to know what was going on, but she had to pretend she was just another Columbia student; not an SVU detective. She was dying to know what was going on in the basement. Her only contact with her squad at the moment was text messaging. Elliot had messaged her a few photos of the crime scene in the basement, but pictures didn't compare to actually being there. Olivia knew her role at this point was that of an outsider. She needed to collect as much information as she could without seeming suspicious. This task was more difficult than Olivia had planned.

The residents had been permitted to reenter the building, but were given strict instructions to stay in their rooms. The detectives were going room to room questioning all students. Olivia decided to work the rumor mill. There was a rather large congregation of students forming in the lobby of the building.

"Have you heard what happened," Olivia asked a tall twenty-something man wearing a green t-shirt.

"I don't know any of the details," he said. "I heard there is a body in the basement, but I don't know what happened."

"She was shot," chimed in a short blonde woman named Liz. "Trevor, the mailroom attendant went down to sort mail. The door to the elevator opened, and her bloody naked body was strewn on the floor in front of the elevator."

"Did he know who the woman was?"

"Yeah, his girlfriend. Audrey Zolski."

Olivia had to play it cool. She couldn't sound like a cop.

"That name sounds familiar. I think she may be in some of my classes," Olivia lied.

"She's a second year grad psych. She's hot stuff around here. Highest G.P.A. in the program. But everyone knows she didn't get those grades just from studying. She has "friends" in high places." Liz said making air quotations with her fingers. "She spends a lot of time in Emery's office. Especially his home office," she said sarcastically.

Olivia knew this was the time to shut up. She was the new kid on the block, and didn't want to say too much. She wanted to stay in the background as much as possible with her ears wide open. She needed to talk to the squad, but couldn't be seen. Having a roommate was a huge problem. She couldn't even speak freely in her room. To make matters worse, it was imperative that Olivia open her books and study. Her morning class was assigned seven chapters of reading. Her afternoon class also required a heavy reading assignment. Cragen impressed upon her how important it was that she seem legit. She had to do reasonably well in her classes. It was already midnight. Olivia had to sneak off campus to meet up with the squad. After the meeting, she would have to come back and begin her massive amount of homework. Olivia didn't know how she was going to survive this undercover assignment. This was only her first night on campus, and she was already overwhelmed. She had not even eaten dinner yet. At this point, it seemed as if she would starve that evening. Memories of her own college days flashed into her mind. At Sienna, she worked 2 jobs just to be able to afford to stay in school. Most nights she had to skip dinner because of her work schedule. She couldn't believe she was reliving her college years again.

"So this girl was very friendly with Emery," Elliot said taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah. Liz told me she spent a lot of time in his office, and home office. So I'm assuming that meant that they saw each other off campus. She also mentioned the victim Audrey Zolski had the highest g.p.a. in the graduate psychology program. I'm wondering if those two things are related."

"Did you get anything from the boyfriend," Liv asked.

"He was a wreck. He was just going about his mail job, and then saw the body lying on the ground, and all the blood. He's definitely not a suspect. Besides, it was verified that he had been in classes all day. In between classes he was at the cafeteria, and student union."

"What did Melinda find?"

"The victim was brutally raped. There were fluids present. The body was practically beaten to a pulp. It was the gunshot that killed her though," Elliot said. "She'll know more tomorrow after the autopsy."

Olivia shook her head. "I'm going to see what I can find out tomorrow about Emery. I need to find out exactly what he's up to. I also want to know if he is also involved with any other students."

Olivia finished typing up her notes on the computer. She yawned and stretched her hands over her head. Her neck cracked as she turned her head to the side.

"Tired," Elliot asked.

"Exhausted. I wish I could just go to my own place and go to bed. It's already almost 2 in the morning. I'd better get back. I still have homework to do."

"Homework? Olivia, you need to get some rest!"

Yeah, and I also need to keep my cover until we get this thing figured out. Do you mind giving me a ride back? I don't think I could endure the cross town bus at this hour."

Olivia could barely keep her eyes open as she studied. It was past four in the morning, and Kat had not come home yet. Olivia struggled to concentrate on the material. She still had well over a hundred pages left to read. Her class was at 8 o'clock. To be more comfortable, she moved into bed with her book and clip on light. She didn't really understand why she was putting herself through this. She didn't understand a word she was reading. It was slipping through her mind, but not sticking. She couldn't retain any information. Eventually, Olivia drifted to sleep with the book still in her hands.

Olivia dragged her half dead body off to class at eight the next morning. She covered the dark circles under her eyes with copious amounts of concealer. She wore a body hugging shirt that showed off her assets. She wanted to attract the attention of Dr. Emery. Today was the day she would put her plan into action.

She sat in the front row that morning. Olivia suffered through the entire 2 hour psychology lecture. Every moment dragged on for what seemed like an eternity. Luckily, one of the class "know it alls" kept Dr. Emery engaged throughout the class session. Olivia was thankful she didn't have to speak in front of the class about material she knew nothing about. After class, she approached Dr. Emery.

"Dr. Emery, can I speak to you for a moment?"

She noticed her roommate Kat watching her from across the room. She looked angry. Olivia couldn't help but wonder what she was up to.

"Of course Olivia. Anything for one of my best, most beautiful students."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She noticed Emery had been staring at her chest. How did he know her name? The "best students" phrase stood out in her mind. She remembered the conversation she had with Liz on her first night about Audrey Zolski also being one of Emery's best students.

"Professor, I'm really having trouble with the theories we have been discussing in class. I'd hate to fall behind. Do you think you could take some time to go over them with me?"

"I'd be delighted Olivia. I am positively overjoyed when my students take a true interest in my classes! Why don't you stop by my office, say around 4:30?"

"That's great. Thank you professor."

"Professor? Why so formal Olivia? Call me Marcus. I'll see you at 4:30."

Kat scowled when she heard of their appointment. Olivia wondered why she would care so much. Something was definitely up.

Olivia had about three hours until her appointment. That gave her just enough time to run over to the precinct and update the squad. She needed to take her book with her and read on the trip over. She needed a nap and lunch desperately, but didn't have the time. Olivia was running on empty. She secretly prayed someone other than Munch had made the coffee in the squad room. She didn't have the energy to walk the extra 15 steps to the Dunkin Donuts on the corner. This assignment was sucking the life out her. She wondered if she would qualify for combat pay. Maybe she would bring it up to Cragen. If she was really lucky, he'd fire her on the spot, and she'd be through of this misery.

Olivia picked up her cell phone.

"El, it's me. I'm on my way over, but I need a favor. Can you run the name Kathryn Mary Tice through for me? Something's up with her. Thanks. Gotta go the bus is here."

As Olivia took a seat, she noticed Kat had followed her on the bus. This couldn't be good.

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	3. Chapter 3

Swine Flu

Disclaimers: I only borrow the characters. They are only mine in my dreams.

Spoilers: None, except in my world, Casey never left.

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for the reviews and subscriptions! Please keep it up!

Olivia watched Kat out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't think of a reason why this girl would be following her. She barely knew her. They had only been roommates for a few nights. Why was she staring her down from across the classroom?

Olivia had to keep her cover. She couldn't be seen going into the precinct. She opened her phone close to her lap where Kat wouldn't see what she was doing. She texted Elliot.

"Meet me at our diner. Don't dress like a cop. Pretend you're my boyfriend. Ask questions later."

She pressed send. Olivia thought about what she wrote, "pretend you're my boyfriend." She secretly wished Elliot was her boyfriend. She had hope after his divorce, but constantly tried to put it out of her mind. It would never work. They were partners, best friends even. They could never be together. Her luck just didn't run like that.

When Olivia got off the bus, she noticed Kat failing miserably at following her inconspicuously. Every time Olivia turned her head. Kat tried to hide behind a building, or in a store. Plus her maroon hair could be spotted a mile away. Olivia couldn't figure out for the life of her what this woman could possibly be up to. When she arrived at the diner, Elliot was sitting in their usual booth, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Olivia thanked her lucky stars that Elliot kept a stash of different clothes in his locker for situations like this.

Elliot stood up as Olivia arrived.

"Hey Baby," he said. He then leaned in to kiss her on the lips.

Olivia's body tingled at his touch, but she had to keep her poker face."

The act continued as they sat at the table.

Olivia had a huge smile on her face. "Do you see the woman with the maroon hair?"

"Of course sweetheart," Elliot said with a mischievous grin.

Olivia shot him a death glare, while smiling at the same time. "That's Kat. My roommate. She stared me down in the classroom, then followed me here. Did you dig anything up on her?"

"Actually yeah. She has a decent rap sheet. Five assault and battery, and seven shop lifting convictions."

"Fabulous. 5 assault and battery and I have to sleep in the same room with her. I don't know what to do. Do I stop her, and ask why she's following me, or do I pretend I'm stupid, and continue to play along?"

"You don't have to do anything now. She's walking out the door."

"I need to know what she's up to. Do you think she killed Audrey? How am I supposed to go back to that room and pretend nothing is wrong?"

"Why don't we have some lunch, then go talk to Cragen?"

I guess so," Olivia said putting her hands on her temples."

"Liv, you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine El. Just a headache. This case is killing me."

Elliot played along, but was beginning to worry. Olivia didn't look right. He watched her pick at her grilled chicken Caesar salad, but eat only a few bites. He also knew it took an act of God for Olivia to admit she was sick.

Back at the house, Cragen agreed Kat needed some extra attention. 2 undercovers were going to stay on the Columbia campus. 2 NYPD officers would also pose as campus security in the dorms. Cragen wouldn't take any chances with Olivia's safety. It was decided that Olivia would "play dumb," and pretend she didn't notice Kate following her. At the same time Olivia was being followed, an undercover would follow Kat. It was too complicated. Olivia didn't want to think about it at the moment.

"Cap, would you mind if Elliot drove me back to campus? The bus ride back is a killer."

Liv, are you feeling alright? You look worn down."

"I'm fine. Elliot asked me the same thing."

Cragen gave Olivia his best "doubtful look." "Liv, take care of yourself over there. Be careful. We aren't sure what we're dealing with yet."

Huang was getting off the elevator as Olivia and Elliot were stepping on. "Liv, how are the classes going? When should we meet for another tutoring session?"

Olivia was so tired she couldn't even think. The words would not move through her brain. "I'll call you later. I don't know what my schedule is like for this week."

"Well, I'll be here. I'll be home this weekend too if you need me."

"Thanks George. I appreciate it."

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Kat paced back and forth in the dorm room. "She's not taking him, he's mine," she screamed. Marcus Emery is my soul mate. I won't be screwed over again by some jealous bitch! I'm the best student in this psych program! I'm brilliant! I'm gonna take what's mine. That bitch is going to pay for this!

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Elliot could tell Olivia was stressed out. She was exhausted. She tried to read over her notes in the car on the way back to Columbia, but was completely out cold within the first five minutes of the trip. Her notebook slid to the floor. Olivia's head rested against the window. Even in her sleep, Olivia was gorgeous. Elliot wished her assignment would be finished already. He missed staring across his desk, and into Olivia's eyes everyday at work. His day went so much better when Olivia was around. This assignment worried Elliot. The danger factor seemed to be increasing daily. He needed to be there if something went wrong. He needed to discuss that with Cragen when he got back to the house.

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Olivia arrived back to her residence hall at 3:30. She had an hour before she was due at Dr. Emery's office. Upon entering her room, she noticed the voice mail light was blinking on her phone.

"Hello this message is for Olivia Monroe. My name is Sara Bridges. I'm calling from the residence life office. I just wanted to let you know a single room has opened up if you wish to move. Stop by the office at your convenience, and we'll set it up. Have a good day."

She was beyond relieved. "Cragen had to work some magic," she thought. She had just about enough time now to go down and sign the papers. She would move her things later on that evening.

After a quick trip to residence life, Olivia headed over to Dr. Emery's office. She had no energy, and her head felt as if it were splitting. She wished she hadn't blown Warner off when she offered her the flu shots. She hadn't even really thought about what she would discuss with him. She stopped into one of the bathrooms to check herself before stepping into his office. She believed Dr. Emery was "involved" with female students. She wanted to offer him some bait. Olivia was wearing a red, form fitting, shirt with just enough cleavage showing. It was just enough to garner some attention, if that was what he was after. She combed her hair, and checked her makeup. She tried to shake off her nervousness as she stepped back into the hallway. She noticed Kat sitting on one of the sofas, eyeing her suspiciously. As she got closer to his office door, Kat moved to a closer sofa. Obviously Kat thought Olivia hadn't noticed.

After taking a deep breath, Olivia knocked on the office door, and turned the knob.

"Dr. Emery?"

"Yes, Olivia, come in. I've been expecting you."

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That was it. Kat couldn't believe Olivia had the nerve to go through with it. Olivia had stolen her man within 4 days of moving in. First she stole her room, then her man. "No one takes anything from Kat Tice," she thought to herself. Little bitch Olivia is getting what's her's tonite."

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	4. Chapter 4

Swine Flu

Disclaimers: I only borrow the characters. They are only mine in my dreams.

Spoilers: None, except in my world, Casey never left.

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for the reviews and subscriptions! Please keep it up!

Chapter 4

Olivia sat nervously in Dr. Emery's office. He was looking over her class notes with her, and helping her to fill in the holes. She asked him the occasional question along the way, just to seem interested. In actuality, her mind was off somewhere else. She couldn't get Kat out of her mind. As Emery spoke, his eyes occasionally slid down to look at her chest. She could tell Emery was somewhat of a "dirty old man," but he hardly seemed to be a murderer. Her instincts were telling her that he was not the murderer of Audrey Zolski.

"Could you go over Adam's theory once more professor? I'm still having a hard time with that for some reason."

"Please, call me Marcus Olivia."

Olivia smiled nervously. Emery began to prattle on about yet another theory. Olivia had a splitting headache. The lighting in the office exasperated the problem. As Emery spoke, Olivia scribbled down some notes. She had to seem interested.

"Uh, Marcus, do you know what section of the text book this is covered in, just so I can review it myself later?"

"Yes, it's in chapter 6. Pages 144-148. If you need further reference, I have an entire book on that theory in my collection. Just let me know." He smiled at Olivia.

An hour had passed already. Not wanting to take any more of the professor's time, Olivia began to put her books away.

"Thank you for your time professor, I mean, Marcus."

"Not a problem Olivia. Will you be attending the memorial service tonight for Audrey?"

Olivia hadn't heard about a memorial service, but played along. "Yes, I planned on it. Will you be going as well?"

"Oh yes. Audrey was a lovely woman. Very bright. She was at the top of the department honor roll. She had great potential. She will be missed."

Olivia smiled again, and stepped out the door of the office. Kat was still in the hall, lurking in the shadows. Olivia was relieved to be in a separate room from Kat. She knew it was a much safer situation. However, she didn't feel up to moving her things that night. She had a horrible headache, and felt as if her energy had been drained from her body. Now on top of moving into a new room, she had to study, and go to the memorial service. Olivia shook her head in disgust.

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Kat watched as Olivia headed down the long hallway. Now was her time to plan her revenge. How could Marcus betray her like this? He belonged to HER. She knew men could not be trusted. She knew this would happen. She should have never trusted him. He would pay the price. She stepped up to Emery's office door, and turned the knob. There was no turning back now.

"Hello Marcus," Kat said in a sultry voice.

"Good evening Kathryn. How can I help you tonight?"

"I saw you with Olivia. Why was she here? What have you done?"

"Kat, you have to realize there is nothing between us. I've tried to explain it before. We are nothing more than friends. I like you a lot Kat, but there is nothing between us. I've been happily married for 37 years."

"You're lying! You love me! You just won't admit it! We should be together! We are in love."

"Kathryn, please listen to me. I've tried to help you through this. I don't know what to say anymore. You have to accept we aren't a couple!"

"Marcus, you're going to regret this."

Kat pulled a butcher's knife out of her waist band. She held it up in the air. Marcus' eyes widened.

"Kat, don't do this. We can talk it out!"

"You've made a choice Marcus. A choice you'll have to die with."

With one swift motion, she plunged the butcher's knife directly into his chest. Blood began pouring out of the wound. She pulled the knife out, and continued to stab him in the chest, with incredible force. She stabbed him over and over. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins. After a few moments, she was out of breath. Once she was sure Marcus was dead, she plunged the knife through his skull. She pulled out her cell phone and snapped a photo so she could remember this moment forever. She stepped back and admired her work for a few moments. Olivia was next.

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Olivia pulled her clothes from the closet, still on the hangers. She was moving only 4 doors down from her current room. She didn't think it was necessary to repack her things into bags and boxes. She thought she may be coming down with something. She felt off, but couldn't say exactly what was wrong with her. She hoped all she needed was a good nap. She wished she could go home and sleep in her own bed. As hard as she tried, she couldn't get comfortable on that prison-grade dorm mattress. It took about an hour to move all of her stuff into her new room.

She had some time before the memorial service. She needed to work on her paper for Emery's class. However, she could feel herself fading. She couldn't keep her eyes open. She told herself she would take a short nap, then wake up and get straight to work. She took off her shoes and got under the covers. She set her alarm for 5 PM. It seemed as if she was out cold the moment her head hit the pillow. Olivia went straight into a dreamless sleep. She was surrounded in complete velvet darkness.

Kat was walking back to campus after a trip to Williams Sonoma for another butcher knife. She kept replaying her plan in her mind. She would go into the room, and pretend everything was fine. She would ask Olivia why she had stolen her man. She wanted to hear the bitch's excuses. Olivia's type always had excuses. Just because she was pretty she thought she could steal boyfriends from other women. Olivia had it coming to her. She had to pay the price for ruining Kat's life.

Kat had an expression on her face of great satisfaction. Her mind hadn't felt so clear in a long time. It was like God had smiled down on her and approved her plan. She wasn't just killing Olivia for herself, but also for all the other women that Olivia had destroyed. She was helping the greater good. She knew there would be great karmic rewards for what she was about to do.

As she entered the residence building, her heart began to pound in her chest. She couldn't contain her delight for what she was about to do. She pictured in her mind the scene that was about to be played out. As the elevator door opened, she felt as if she wanted to sprint to room c014. Her hands were shaking slightly as she turned the key in the lock. She opened the door slowly, expecting to see Olivia on her bed or at her desk. Instead, she found a half empty room. Her heart sank.

"What the hell happened here? Where is that miserable bitch? Where could she have gone? She went out into the hall, and looked around. There were no signs of life. She closed the door, went back into the room, and screamed. "Nooooooo!" She threw herself down on her own bed and sobbed into her pillow.

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Olivia woke in a panic. She was disoriented. Where was she? Why was it so dark outside? What time was it? She could feel a lot of heat radiating in her body. She was nauseous. Her head ached. She looked over at her alarm clock. It took a moment for her eyes to focus. The clock read 5:30.

"5:30? Why is it so dark outside?" She thought to herself. She jumped out of bed, and checked out the hall. It was dark. No one was out there. "Why is it so quiet? What's going on?"

Olivia flipped her cell phone open. It read 5:30 AM. She couldn't believe it. She slept right through the memorial service, and hadn't done any work on her paper. She noticed she had 4 missed calls. 2 from Elliot, and 2 from Cragen. She sat back on her bed and rested her head in her hands. This couldn't be good.

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Kat sat in her room drinking whiskey straight from the bottle. She continued to replay her plot in her mind. Tomorrow she would find Olivia, and follow through. She wouldn't back down. No one would get in her way, or suffer the same fate. She was a powerful woman. God had given his blessing on her plan, and sent the angels to help her. She knew she would succeed. Olivia had only hours left. No one could save her.

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	5. Chapter 5

Swine Flu

Disclaimers: I only borrow the characters. They are only mine in my dreams.

Spoilers: None, except in my world, Casey never left.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updates! I've been working on some of my older stories. Hopefully my readers are still interested. Please review / comment below.

Chapter 5

"Victim is Doctor Marcus Emery, 63. Found by the Campus janitorial crew early this morning. Looks like the time of death was about 3:30 yesterday afternoon. He was definitely stabbed in this room, not dumped," Melinda said. "The blood spatter pattern shows he was still alive when he was stabbed. Whoever did this was very angry. The perp stabbed the victim with a great deal of force."

"Has anyone heard from Olivia," Cragen asked.

"Still no answer Cap. I called her twice, left a few texts, nothing. I tried the room phone too. I know she isn't in class now," Elliot answered.

"Fin checked her room. No one answered the door," Cragen said. "Alright, Elliot, you look around the campus on foot. We've got it covered here."

Olivia woke up again around 7 AM feeling disoriented. She remembered waking up two hours earlier, but couldn't remember any other details. "Was I supposed to call someone," she thought to herself. "How long have I been sleeping?"

She felt as if she had been run over by a truck. It took too much effort to think, never mind move. She knew she was running a fever. She could feel intense heat radiating through her body. Her clothes were soaked through with sweat. She tried to will herself back to health. She knew there was a lot riding with this case. She couldn't lie around in bed all day. After another five minutes had passed, she forced herself to get out of bed and take a shower. She developed a rattling cough overnight. After a coughing fit, she felt as if she was being stabbed in the ribs. "I'm not sick," she told herself. "I never get sick."

For the first time in recent history, Olivia left the house, or in her case, dorm, in sweats. Real clothes were too much of an effort. She wasn't even sure if she had pulled out a matching set, and was too weak to care. She ran a comb though her wet hair, and called it done. This was about as good as she was going to look today.

She sat down on her bed, and flipped open her cell phone. She found it odd she had no messages or missed calls. She browsed to her old messages, and suddenly remembered the missed calls, and memorial service from the night before.

"I'm so stupid, how could I have forgotten Cragen and Elliot each called twice!" Olivia stood up quickly from her bed. The room began spinning. She sat back down quickly. She tried standing a second time, but more slowly. Her phone rang while in her hand.

"Liv, are you okay? We've been trying to get a hold of you for a few hours."

"I'm sorry El," Olivia lied. "My battery died," she said trying to cough away from the phone.

Elliot knew she was lying. "Liv, you're sick. I can hear it in your voice, and I heard you coughing. Why don't you stay in bed? I'll tell Cragen."

"Elliot, no. I have class, homework and a million other things to do. I have to get going I have advanced psychology in 10 minutes."

"Uh, no you don't Liv."

"What do you mean," Olivia said raising one eyebrow.

"Liv, Emery was murdered last night. Stabbed at least fifteen times. Janitors found him this morning in his office."

Olivia felt as if all of the air had been forced out of her lungs. That couldn't be true. She had just spoken to him the night before. "Are there any suspects," she asked.

"Cragen said to come by the house later this afternoon so we can regroup. I'll pick you up off campus at our spot around 2. I'm not letting you ride the bus sick."

"Elliot, I'm not…"

He cut her off. "Yes you are sick Liv. Now stay in bed and take care of yourself. There are a lot of germs on college campuses"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll see you later."

She knew Elliot was right, but Olivia couldn't just stay in bed. She wanted to get out and try to hear what the buzz was on campus. Someone had to know something. That was the nature of college campuses. She took two Tylenol, and vowed to grab a hot tea from the cafeteria. Her bones were telling her that this was going to be a long day. She wondered if she should feel guilty about no longer having to endure Emery's class.

Kat had been up all night trying to reform her plan for Olivia. She had been watching the halls like a hawk waiting for a sighting. Her hours of watching had finally paid off when she saw Olivia emerge from a room 4 doors down.

"There she is! I knew God wouldn't let me down! He has blessed my plan and put it back into motion. Vengeance will be mine after all!"

Kat followed Olivia outside being careful not to be detected. Olivia's ill health was on Kat's side. Olivia was in such a fog that her guard was down. She didn't have Elliot to watch her back. Kat felt to see if her knife was secure in her pocket. She had to be ready at any moment to carry out her plan. She wouldn't risk another near miss.

Olivia's trek across campus to Emery's office seemed never ending. Every step was painful. Her body begged her to stop, but she pushed on. Suddenly, she felt very dizzy. Luckily a bench was close by. She sat down, and rested her head in her hands for a moment while the spell passed. Olivia's body was trembling. As she sat on the bench, she realized how quiet the campus was for a Wednesday morning. "Word must have gotten out about the murder," she thought to herself.

While Olivia was resting, Kat stood behind a nearby tree. "This is my moment," she thought to herself. She had visions of herself mutilating Olivia's perfect body. Kat wanted to shred her from head to toe. She longed to see Olivia's blood pooling on the ground, seeping out of every orifice. She looked around the open grassy area, and saw no one. This was her moment. She pulled the knife from her pocket. She slowly stepped out into the open, careful not to be detected. Her heart was racing. She could barely contain her glee. This would be the perfect crime. There were no witnesses. No one would suspect poor innocent Kat. She inched closer and closer to Olivia. She made an indirect path to her bench. She didn't want to be seen or heard. Kat's hands were sweating. She placed the knife handle in her left hand. This was her moment. She now knew how the 9/11 hijackers felt. She was less than two feet away from Olivia now. She walked quickly but quietly. Then, suddenly, a voice called out in the distance, and Kat saw a blonde woman approaching. "Damn," she thought to herself. My plan won't be foiled again!" Her heart sank, and rage boiled over as the blonde woman sat next to Olivia on the bench.

"Liv, are you okay?"

Olivia looked up to find Casey sitting next to her carrying a brown paper bag. She was almost unrecognizable wearing yoga pants, Ugg boots, and a Columbia sweatshirt. Her hair was tied into a messy bun.

"Casey," Olivia said weakly. I almost didn't recognize you.

"I thought I'd blend in better dressed as a bum rather than a D.A.," she said with a smile. "Elliot told me you were sick. I wanted to check on you, and bring you some chicken soup from the deli."

"Casey you didn't…" Olivia coughed so hard she literally saw stars. "You didn't have to come all the way here to bring soup," she said clearing her throat.

As Casey opened her mouth to speak, Kat approached Casey and Olivia on the bench. She put on her best phony smile. "Olivia, what happened to you? One day I came home, and you were gone! We were just getting to know each other."

Kat had never been so friendly to Olivia before. Normally they ignored each other in passing. Olivia knew something was up.

Olivia also smiled sweetly. "Oh a single came up a few doors down. I didn't want to infringe on your space."

"It wasn't a problem. I loved having a roommate. We should get together sometime to catch up. Are you in the same building?"

"I am. Yeah, that would be nice."

Olivia knew something was up. Kat had followed her the other day to the diner, and constantly seemed to be lurking in the shadows. Now she acted like they were good friends. She didn't know how to handle the situation. She decided she would bring it up later at the house.

"Well, I've got to be going Olivia. It was nice taking to you," Kat said nervously as she stood up.

Olivia smiled and nodded as Kat walked away.

"Something isn't right with that girl. I've got my eye on her. Do you want to," Olivia stopped mid-sentence to cough. "Walk with me to Emery's office?"

Casey studied Olivia's face. She was extremely pale, and her eyes were glassy. "Do you think that's a good idea? Liv, I think you're really sick." Casey felt her face and noted that Olivia was burning up. She noticed Olivia's less then perfect clothes, and lack of make up which was unusual.

"I took some cold medicine this morning. I'll be fine. I have work to do here."

Casey reluctantly agreed to walk with Olivia. There was no use in arguing with her. She hoped Olivia was right, and she just had a cold.

* * *

Kat watched the two of them walking together toward the faculty offices.

"Figures that the bitch would have cheerleader type, perfect friends. All bitches do. She can't stop me though. I'm gonna kill her. And when I do, she will suffer. Marcus will have had an easy death compared to that bitch. She should have learned by now not to mess with me. I hope she enjoys her private little room for now. She won't be in it much longer," Kat said to herself, grinning broadly.


	6. Chapter 6

Swine Flu

Disclaimer: These characters are only mine in my wildest dreams.

Author's Note: Thanks a million for reading. Please please take a second to review.

Also, I do realize that Kat's character is a bit over the top. However, I want to portray her as completely crazy. In my mind's eye, she has spells where she stops, stares into space, and says the things I'm writing for her. She is a donut short of a dozen, but shows it only in private, at least for now.

Chapter 6

Later that morning, Kat broke into Olivia's dorm room using the master key she had been "gifted" from her source. She seethed with anger as she went through Olivia's private things.

"I can't believe that this bitch is a cop! She said her name was Olivia Arnold! What the hell is she doing here? How dare she lie to the entire community and pose as an innocent little psychology student! That made it even easier for her to steal Marcus away from me! He was attracted to her big exciting cop career! How dare she abuse her power like that! She can't do whatever she wants because of her stupid little badge! She stole my boyfriend, and destroyed my life in the process! Why did she have to steal him? I saw her at the diner the other day with her own boyfriend! Why does she get to have two! Why can't anyone love me?

Kat became even angrier as she looked through Olivia's small photo album. She saw Olivia's photos of her and the guys. In Kat's mind, they were all Olivia's boyfriends. She threw the album across the room.

Suddenly, Kat panicked. "What if she's on to me? Does she know my secret? How could she know I killed Audrey and Marcus? I've perfected my act so well. I'm a graduate student, not a murderer! She knows that. Everyone knows that."

Kat took a deep breath, and smiled confidently to herself. "I'm okay. No one knows. I'm safe. Who would ever suspect me?"

Kat picked up the photo album and placed it back in the drawer. She didn't want Olivia to know someone had been in her room. She made a plan to come back later, and take Olivia by surprise.

Casey and Olivia finally reached the faculty offices. Olivia felt as if she had been walking for hours. Being that both she and Casey were posing as students, they pretended to be shocked as they stumbled upon the crime scene.

"What happened? Was someone shot," Olivia asked innocently.

"Oh my god! That's Dr. Emery's office! That's why he wasn't in class today," Casey said acting surprised.

They both tried to visually take in the crime scene without being too obvious. Olivia noticed the copious amounts of blood on and around the body. She knew without a doubt that Emery had been stabbed. Melinda and her team began the process of bagging up the body. Elliot came up to them and told them to move along because there was nothing to see.

"How about that hot cup of tea now," Casey said to Olivia.

Casey could see Olivia was fading. She was coughing and sneezing constantly, and looked like she would fall over at any moment.

"Only if it's Earl Grey."

Casey smiled. "Luckily starbucks is half a block away."

"Did you see Olivia," Cragen asked Elliot. "She looks like hell."

I noticed. She has one hell of a cold or flu. Hopefully it's not the swine flu."

"I'm glad I coerced the squad into getting flu shots. This year's bug seems particularly nasty. "

Melinda overheard the conversation about flu vaccinations.

"Olivia never came in for her shot. She dodged me every time I mentioned it. Knowing Olivia, I'm not surprised."

Both Cragen and Elliot rolled their eyes and shook their heads. "Typical Olivia," Cragen said. "Better keep a close eye on her. She would be six feet under before admitting she was sick."

By the time Casey and Olivia reached Starbucks, Olivia had beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Her teeth were chattering from her chills. She wasn't sure if she would have the energy to pick up her tea cup. She tried to hide her misery, but Casey saw right through it.

"Liv, you are seriously sick. You need to be in bed. You look like you're going to collapse."

"I…" Her sentence was interrupted by a horrible rattling cough. "I just have a cold. I want to finish up here as soon as possible, and go back to my own bed. Please Casey don't hassle me."

"Liv, drink your tea," Casey said as she lifted her pumpkin spice latte to her own lips. She picked up her Blackberry to text Elliot.

"Change of plans. I'm dropping Olivia off myself at the house in a bit. I think she's dying but won't admit to it."

Casey and Olivia chatted for a while at Starbucks. Olivia was happy to have a portion of her normal life back. She couldn't wait for this assignment to be over. She had decided she had more than enough of college life the first time around. She missed her job, her apartment, and her co-workers. Every time her phone rang, she hoped it was Cragen telling her to pack up and go home because the assignment was complete. So far, no such luck.

"Liv, do you want a ride back to the house," Casey asked trying to play it cool.

Olivia looked at the time. It was a little early, but she could use the extra time to catch up on her paperwork.

"That'd be great Case, but do you mind bringing your car around? I don't have the energy to walk all the way to the garage."

As Olivia was placing her half full cup into the garbage, Kat walked into the coffee shop. However, she remained unnoticed by both Olivia and Casey. She stood back for a few minutes to watch what they were up to. A few minutes later, she saw Olivia getting into Casey's car. Kat smiled broadly.

"Perfect," she thought to herself. "That damn whore is gone. Now I know she won't be in her room. This is the opportunity I've been waiting for. She'll have a surprise waiting when she returns." Kat laughed out loud. People on the street were staring. She screamed "FUCK OFF!" at the top of her lungs, and ran toward the dormitory.

"So the entire murder was caught on tape?" Cragen asked as Casey and Olivia walked in.

"Apparently," Elliot said. "Emery had a security camera set up in his office. He had it set up so the images were sent through the internet, and were recorded on his computer at home. Unfortunately there was no sound. You can clearly see Liv and Emery in his office studying, and a few minutes after Liv left, Kathryn Tice came in. She was screaming. Emery stood up, and then Tice started stabbing. According to Emery's wife, Marcus Emery had been having problems with Tice. She had delusions that they were in a relationship. She would show up unexpected at his home on weekends and evenings. Emery was trying to work with Tice, trying to show her they were just student and teacher. Supposedly Tice was an average student who wanted the top spot in the psych program. She couldn't accept that Audrey Zolski was number one. She also got angry and jealous when Emery gave any woman even the time of day."

"So there was motive for Tice to murder Zolski," Cragen questioned.

"I'm thinking Tice had a motive to kill Audrey Zolski, Gertrude Bigsby, and Shannon Lawrence. She was threatened by any woman who even spoke a word to Emery. I wonder if she did the same thing to them; waited in the hall, then when they left the office, she followed them, and bingo" Fin said

"But that doesn't account for the rapes. She must have had an accomplice. Are there any leads," Cragen asked.

"She doesn't have a known boyfriend," Olivia said entering the room with Casey. There is something off with that girl. Something just isn't right."

"Olivia, you look like hell," Cragen announced.

"Thanks for the compliment Cap," Olivia said sarcastically.

"I know you couldn't have the flu, being that you got your flu shots a few weeks back."

Olivia looked away from Cragen's gaze. She stood to get a cup of Munch's famous coffee, but felt suddenly dizzy. She fell back into her chair. All eyes were suddenly on Olivia.

"Liv, how long have you been sick?" Elliot asked.

"Only a few days," she answered sheepishly.

Elliot placed the back of his hand on her forehead. "Liv, you're on fire! Have you taken your temperature?"

"Elliot, I'm fine. Don't worry. It's just a cold."

"Olivia, go home. To your own apartment. That's an order. Elliot will drive you."

Olivia opened her mouth to oppose Cragen's order, but didn't have the strength. As she stood up from her seat, Elliot held her arm to steady her. Elliot could see how sick she was. It was obvious she had no strength. He carefully led her down to the unmarked squad car on the street. He placed her in the front seat, and clicked her seatbelt for her.

Elliot was shocked Olivia had not protested more strongly. A few minutes after pulling away from the curb, Elliot noticed Olivia had stopped talking. He turned his face toward the passenger seat, and noticed Olivia was sound asleep. He placed his hand on her cheek, and noted that her fever had definitely spiked. She needed to take some Tylenol as soon as she arrived home.

Kat nonchalantly opened the door to Olivia's dorm room and stepped inside. She had been watching the room all day, and knew she had not been back. She opened all of Olivia's drawers and looked through them. She dug through Olivia's closet. Being among Olivia's things made her blood boil.

"She's so damn perfect. Perfect life, perfect clothes, perfect body,perfect boyfriend. Not for long you stupid slut. I'm here to take it all away," Kat said to herself. "As soon as she opens that door, she won't know what hit her. She won't even see it coming."

HHHG


	7. Chapter 7

Swine Flu

Disclaimer: Characters not mine, never will be! I write these out of boredom, not for profit!

Author's Note: Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Keep up the great work!

Chapter 7

There was a knock on Olivia's dorm room door. Kat instantly knew who it was. She had told him to stay away. She didn't need Samuel's help this time, but he couldn't stay away. Kat opened the door, and pulled Samuel in quickly.

"I told you I didn't want any help this time! Don't you ever listen to me?"

"Come on Kat, please let me do this. I haven't gotten laid in so long. That bitch is hot. Let me have her for a little bit. It won't matter. You are going to kill her anyway. Why can't I get in on the action?"

Kat thought for a moment. Samuel always made her feel guilty when she told him no. Her little brother was the only one who had any effect on her emotions. He was right. Olivia was going to die anyway. Samuel may as well get something out of it. Besides, it would give Kat the opportunity to watch her suffer even more. If he didn't work in campus security, she would have never gotten the keys to the dorms, or mail room.

"Alright, you can do it. But make it quick. Tape her mouth shut. And don't screw it up."

The sun was setting, and the street lights were beginning to come on. Kat knew Olivia would be coming back soon. She carefully studied the large kitchen knife in her hand. Kat ran her finger carefully along the serrated edge. She particularly enjoyed the double pointed top. She pictured in her mind Olivia screaming, and blood pouring out of the open wounds all over her body. She would be quick this time; Kill her and run. She didn't' want to risk being caught. She had her camera ready. She wanted a souvenir of the event. Kat felt at peace for the first time all day. All she had to do was sit back and wait.

* * *

Elliot and Olivia finally arrived back at Olivia's apartment after some light traffic. The time change became more and more evident. It was only 4 o'clock, and the sun was setting. Olivia was sleeping soundly in the passenger seat. Elliot hated to wake her.

"Liv, you're home. Wake up."

Olivia was in a deep sleep, and was hard to wake. Elliot gently tapped her shoulder until her eyes opened. She really looked horrible. Olivia was very pale, and her eyes seemed sunken in. Her skin was on fire. This raised the red flag for Elliot. He had five kids. He knew what serious illness looked like. He had to convince Olivia to see a doctor today. He helped her carefully get out of the car. He noticed her teeth were chattering violently. She definitely was running a high fever. They began the trek up to her apartment with Elliot supporting her back.

"Oh my god El, I left my badge and ID at Columbia. I need to go get it. I can't leave that there."

" 'll go pick it up for you. You aren't in any condition to go over there now. Where is it?"

"Top drawer, covered with underwear."

Elliot couldn't help but smile nervously. It was odd to be going through his partner's underwear. However, he had to admit that he was a bit curious. He couldn't decide if Olivia was a thong or bikini brief type of woman.

"El, I know this is going to sound weird coming from me, but can you carry me? I don't think I can make it all the way up."

Elliot nodded. He knew Olivia was in bad shape if she actually asked him for help. She never admitted weakness. He carefully picked her up, supporting her back and knees. Olivia was lighter than he had thought. He could feel the immense heat radiating off her body. She was coughing uncontrollably. When they arrived at her door, he used his key. He walked into her living room, and placed her carefully on her fluffy white couch.

"Liv, you gotta take something to reduce that fever." He went into her medicine cabinet, and pulled out a thermometer and a bottle of Tylenol. He filled a glass with water. By the time he came back into the living room, Olivia had fallen asleep again.

"Livvy, come on. You have to wake up and take some medicine."

Olivia's eyes opened half way. Elliot offered her the thermometer, and she put it under her tongue. 30 seconds later, it beeped. Elliot took it from her mouth, and was shocked at the reading. 104.2.

"Liv, 104.2 is really bad." He placed two pills in her hand. She swallowed them drowsily. Less than a minute later, Olivia was sleeping soundly again.

Elliot's phone rang. He looked at the caller id, and noticed it was Cragen.

"What's up Cap?"

"We need you down at Columbia. They searched Kathryn Tice's dorm room. She wrote in a journal about her elaborate hatred for Olivia. Her brother, who works in campus security is also in on it. Elliot, Liv is next on her hit list. All available NYPD is searching for her. We have the campus locked down."

"I'm on my way, but I can't stay long. I have to keep an eye on Liv. She's running over a hundred and four temp."

"Alright. I'll expect you in a few minutes."

"Liv, I gotta go. I'll be back in a little bit. If you need anything at all, just call."

Olivia didn't hear a word Elliot said. She was sound asleep. Elliot fixed her blanket, and went back into the hallway. He locked her door securely, and headed to Columbia.

* * *

All available NYPD was scouring Columbia and the surrounding neighborhood for signs of Kathryn Mary Tice. She was the prime suspect in 4 murders, and Olivia was next on her hit list. Elliot wondered if Olivia knew she was a target. He felt a bit better knowing Olivia was safely in bed in her own apartment. He also worried about her health, and felt uncomfortable leaving her home alone. He was hopeful the suspect would be caught, and he could run back to Liv's place.

"Cap, I have to go to Liv's dorm room. She left her badge."

"Okay. Take Munch with you. Check all of the rooms. Ted Harvey, the head of campus security will give you the master key. He should be in the lobby."

Liv's building had 142 rooms. This was going to be a long afternoon. Elliot's thoughts kept going back to Olivia. He needed to get back to her.

"Should we start at the top or bottom," Munch asked.

"Why don't we start with Liv's room? I don't want to forget to pick up her badge."

"Your wish is my command," Munch said sarcastically.

They arrived at C018, and opened the door. Elliot went in first, flipping on the light switch. He looked around the room carefully, and saw it was empty. He didn't expect to find anyone, as it was Olivia's room, and she was home in her own apartment.

Kat's heart was racing with anticipation. This was it! This was her moment. Her dreams of finishing off Olivia were about to come true! Victory really was hers! She pushed open the bathroom door with as much strength as she could muster. She bounded through the doorway, and held the large, red handled knife up in an offensive manner. Her eyes bugged when she realized it was not Olivia standing in front of her, but her buff boyfriend, who was pointing his gun directly at her.


	8. Chapter 8

Swine Flu

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. They are on inter-library loan.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updates, but the holidays happened! Now I'm in it to finish it!

Chapter 8

"Drop it," Elliot screamed at Kat.

Kat, without question did as Elliot demanded. She was so shocked that it was not Olivia who opened the door that she didn't fight. She was caught up in a fury of emotion; anger, shock, disappointment, confusion.

"How did you know," she asked Elliot.

"We knew what you were up to all along. Do you know how long we've been watching you? This campus is swarming with NYPD."

Kat began to sob uncontrollably. "How could this happen to me? I worked so hard! Everything was supposed to work out. How could God betray me like this?"

Munch led Tice, who was handcuffed down to the squad car. She continued to yell things about God and angels, and generally made no sense. Munch just shook his head as he led her down. Elliot proceeded to retrieve Olivia's badge. He hesitated as he opened Olivia's drawer. He thought it was odd to go through a woman's underwear who wasn't his wife. He opened the drawer and began fumbling through the multicolored garments awkwardly. He wanted to find the black case and be done as quickly as possible. At the same time, he couldn't help but notice Liv's assortment of bras and panties. He figured her as the basic cotton type; nothing frilly or fancy. He was surprised as he saw a number of sexy Victoria's Secret pieces pass through. It made him wonder what else he didn't know about his partner. Finally he found the black case, and quickly shut the drawer. That was enough discomfort for him for one day. He called Olivia before leaving her dorm room to see if there was anything else she wanted from there. His stomach tied into a knot when she did not answer her house or cell phone. He silently prayed that she was just in the bathroom or something.

Olivia woke up startled, and sat up in her bed. She was disoriented. For a moment, she didn't know where she was. She looked around her bedroom, and couldn't remember how she got there. Her vision was blurry. Her mouth was bone dry. She was very weak, and felt intense heat coursing through her body. She sat motionless in her bed trying to make sense of everything. She couldn't remember what day it was. "Should I be at work," she asked herself. Suddenly she panicked.

"Oh my god! I should be at Columbia? How did I get home?"

She jumped out of her bed, and instantly fell on the floor. Her legs had no strength. A coughing fit came over her. She saw stars as all of the air was forced from her lungs. Her stomach churned with nausea. She felt as if she were burning up, yet had chills at the same time. Carefully, Olivia got up off of the hardwood floor. She couldn't think straight. Why couldn't she remember how she had gotten home? She felt as if her mind was full of cotton. She had to get back to Columbia. She couldn't blow her assignment. Cragen would have her ass if she screwed up.

In a haze, Olivia reached for her badge, gun, and purse before leaving her apartment. She didn't even realize her badge was missing. She stepped into the hallway and locked her door. She couldn't see straight. It seemed like the keyhole on the knob was moving. She shook her head trying to clear her vision. "I have to snap out of this," she thought to herself.

Each step down the stairs was painful. Olivia's body ached terribly. She couldn't remember ever feeling so ill. All she could think about was getting back to Columbia, and figuring out what was going on with Tice.

When Olivia finally got down to the street, her mind shut down. She couldn't remember how to get to Columbia. Her brain wouldn't work. She started walking toward the precinct. Someone there could give her a ride. It was a brutally cold, windy day in New York. Olivia could barely tolerate being outside. She thought a gust of wind may knock her over. As she walked, she could hear her feet hitting the sidewalk in her mind. Her nose was running, but she was out of tissues. She felt like she was on another planet as she walked along. Her legs felt like they could give out at any second. Olivia lost track of where she was. Every block looked the same. She couldn't remember the cross street the precinct was on. She thought she may have been walking in circles, but couldn't be sure. Olivia didn't know what else to do but keep going. She had to get back to Columbia somehow.

* * *

Elliot rushed back to Olivia's apartment as soon as their work at Columbia had wrapped up. He was especially worried that she had not answered her phone at all. He silently prayed that she had fallen asleep. His hand shook as he tried to put his key into his lock.

"Olivia," he called nervously.

There was no answer.

"Liv, you in here? Hello?"

His heart sunk into his stomach. As he opened her front door, he immediately saw that she was not lying on the couch. He raced into the bedroom hoping to find her under the covers, but no luck. His final hope was that she was in the bathroom, but his hope was quickly diminished as he saw the bathroom door open with no light on. He checked just to be sure, but Olivia wasn't in there. Elliot panicked. Where would she have gone in her condition? He called Cragen to see if he had heard from Liv.

"Elliot I haven't heard from her. Isn't she sick? She should be in bed."

"Cap, something is wrong. I've got to find her. Can you do me a favor and check the hospitals?"

"I'll get Munch on it. Check with the neighbors. See if anyone saw her leave."

"Right Cap. I'll let you know what I find out."

Elliot was getting more and more frustrated by the moment. Only one of Olivia's neighbors was home, and he was pretty sure he had heard her leave her apartment.

"She went out, but there was nothing unusual as far as I could tell. She didn't seem to be in a rush or anything."

Elliot thanked the neighbor, and went back inside Olivia's apartment. He couldn't figure out where she would have gone. She didn't even have the strength to climb the stairs when they came back before.

Olivia was tired of walking. She had completely lost track of time. She needed to sit down somewhere. She thought she may pass out if she continued walking. She spotted a Dunkin Donuts on the corner, and stepped in.

"Can I have a medium French vanilla with milk and 2 sugars," she asked shakily.

The woman behind the counter looked at her worriedly. "Are you okay honey?"

Olivia smiled weakly. "I'm fine."

She found a seat in the back corner, and slumped down into a seat. Olivia's mind seemed to go back and forth between clarity and confusion. She felt her eyes getting heavy. She couldn't snap out of it. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

Her coffee cup had hit the table with a gush. The scalding hot, tan liquid poured all over her. Olivia didn't even realize her legs were being burned by molten coffee.

The counter person saw what had happened, and came running out to clean up the mess.

"Maam, are you okay?"

She placed cool towels on Olivia's legs to stop the burning.

She repeated herself; "Maam, are you okay?"

She noticed Olivia was completely unresponsive. Her eyes seemed to be rolling back into her head. She began to shake violently.

"Jimmy," she called to the person working in the back. "Call 911."


	9. Chapter 9

Swine Flu

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updates. Is anyone still interested?

Chapter 9

Olivia was seizing violently as she was rolled on a gurney into St. Luke's Hospital.

"Female 30's. High fever with seizures. Source unknown. No ID," said the EMT.

One of the nurses spoke up. "Oh my God! That's Olivia!"

"Who's Olivia," asked the emergency room doctor.

"She's a detective from the SVU. She was just in here the other day with a rape victim. I'll call her precinct, and see if they can contact her family."

As the nurse ran to the nearest phone, the doctors continued to treat the patient.

"Doctor, her temperature is 104.5. We need to cool her down before she cooks her brain."

"The fever is the source of the seizures. I just wish we knew the source of the fever. Hopefully her family will be able to provide some information," the doctor said. "Push 50 MG of Zoladine! We've got to stop the seizures!

* * *

20 minutes later, Elliot and Cragen came running through the doors of St. Luke's Emergency room.

"We're here for Olivia Benson. Is she okay," Elliot said out of breath.

"Let me get her doctor. He can explain everything."

The five minute wait for Olivia's doctor to come into the room felt like an eternity. Both men paced the floor of the waiting room impatiently.

"Olivia Benson's family," Dr. Watson asked.

"How is she," Cragen asked.

"Stable for now, but critical. She came in here seizing uncontrollably. It took the maximum dose of medication to stop them. She was running a fever of 104.5, which I believe was the source of the seizures. We were able to bring the fever down to 101 with cooling blankets, and high dose acetaminophen. Has she been ill lately?

"For the past few days she's been coming down with something, but wouldn't admit it. I was going back to her apartment to force her to go to the emergency room, but she wasn't home. I can't understand why she would have left her apartment as sick as she was."

"It's possible that she was delirious. With a temperature that high, it would not be uncommon. According to the EMTs, she passed out in a coffee shop. I'm running some tests, and I've ordered a chest x-ray. We should know more soon. You can go up and see her if you'd like. She's been admitted to the ICU. She's likely very tired however. I'll let you know when I've got more information."

The men thanked the doctor, and made their way up to the intensive care unit, where they found Olivia lying in a bed hooked to at least a dozen monitors. As the doctor had predicted, she was sleeping soundly. Neither Elliot nor Cragen wanted to wake her up. Both men took a seat in the room.

"Why does Olivia always have to be such a martyr? She'll swear up and down she's not sick, even when she's practically dying," Elliot said.

"I think she sees admitting illness as a sign of weakness. And she would never want anyone to consider her weak."

"I don't know why she would think that. Olivia has to be one of the strongest people I know. She doesn't have to prove it to anyone."

Elliot stayed with Olivia overnight as she slept. He didn't know when she would wake up, but didn't want her to be alone when she did. Her condition had stabilized since arriving at the hospital. With the help of constant IV medication, her fever was down to 100 degrees. Olivia seemed to be resting comfortably.

With his mind at peace for the moment, Elliot was able to fall asleep in the chair next to her bedside.

* * *

Elliot must have fallen into a deeper sleep than he realized. He was awoken by a tapping noise. He opened his eyes, and saw that the sun was shining bright in the sky. He turned his head, and noticed that Dr. Watson had stepped into the room.

"Good Morning Doc. Is there any news on Olivia's condition?"

"I've gotten the results from her tests. It's not good."

"Elliot's heart sunk deep in his chest."

"Olivia has the Swine Flu. The most severe case I've seen. According to her chest x-ray, she also seems to be developing pneumonia. That is what is causing the fever, and seizures. We've started her on high dose anti-virals. Now we'll have to wait and see."

"When will she wake up," Elliot asked.

"Again, it's a wait and see. Her condition is very serious. Her MRI appears to be normal. The seizures don't appear to have caused any damage to her brain. For now, she'll remain in ICU, receiving high dose medication. We'll monitor her very closely. I'm sorry I can't offer more information right now."

Elliot nodded. "Thanks Doc."

After the doctor left the room, Elliot sat back down on his chair. He couldn't believe this was happening to Olivia. "Why didn't she get the damn flu shot," he thought to himself.

He took Olivia's hand into his own.

"Olivia, you've got to get through this. You're so strong. I know you can do this. Come on Liv, wake up!"

Time slowly crept on. It seemed as if minutes were hours. Elliot couldn't stand just sitting there in that chair, but there was nothing else for him to do but pray that Olivia would open her eyes.


End file.
